Lessons in Pain
by sammygirl1963
Summary: Dean and Sam take on a hunt at an abandoned girl's school where the headmistress dabbled in Satanism and sacrificed her students. Will the boys survive the hunt? Hurt Dean/HurtSam/Angst/Comfort
1. Chapter 1

**Lessons in Pain**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

**Author's Note: **As far as I know there is no Miss Warwick's School for Fine Young Ladies---any resemblance is strictly a coincidence.

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Dean was lying on the bed of the local Stardust Motel in Westmoreland, New Hampshire flipping through the motel channels while Sam surfed the internet. The brothers had been stuck in town overnight due to a sudden snow storm that had left the roads impassable and Dean in a surly mood. He had tried to pick an argument earlier, but Sam chose to ignore him. He knew how much Dean hated being stuck in a boring ugly motel room instead of out at some bar conning the local pool shark out of his recent earned winnings, especially since their funds were kind of low at the moment and the newest credit card hadn't arrived yet which left Dean highly agitated seeing as how they only had less than fifty dollars between the two of them.

Sam had been listening to Dean bitch for over an hour and was about to lose his own patience when he stumbled upon a local reputed haunted school not too far from where their motel was. "Hey Dean, I think I've just found our next hunt and it's not too far from where we are now" Sam called out as his eyes roamed quickly through the material he had found.

"What is it, a possessed snow plow?" Dean asked sarcastically as he flipped through the channels for what must have been the fiftieth time in les than five minutes.

"No smartass, you not going to believe this but there is purported to be an actual haunted girls school on the outskirts of town. Apparently this school was ruled by a very stern headmistress who according to this article ran the school like a tyrant and started dabbling into Satanism and offered up the girls as sacrifices to gain wealth, power, and status in society."

"What else does the article say?" Dean asked with interest as he walked over to sit by his younger brother. He was itching to start a new hunt and this one sounded like the perfect thing to get his juices flowing again.

"Well the school is said to have a secret underground passage that leads to a torture chamber where the girls would be abused and mutilated for days until the headmistress decided it was time for them to die. She would literally cut their chests open and reach in and pull out their hearts in the end as the ultimate gift to her master."

"Damn, that headmistress sounds like one nasty bitch" Dean stated as he gave off a slight shudder. "So why is this a problem for us now when the school killings occurred in 1928 from what I can see?"

"Apparently six people have been killed over the last year. According to sources, four boys were killed approximately eight months ago when they accepted a dare to spend the night at the haunted school. One of the boys was found hanging by the neck. Another two had had their throats slashed from side to side and one of them was missing his tongue. The fourth one had literally been gutted with his intestines laying on the floor beside him when he was found. And get this, all four were missing their hearts." Sam stated with a shiver of his own.

"What about the other two deaths Sammy, what does it say about those?"

"Well, after the four boys were found, the police cordoned off the area to try and keep any more people from going into the old school. And it had been working until they stopped their nightly patrols of the area around three weeks ago. Seems as though a couple of young lovers decided to hide out in the school to get away from the girl's family. When they were reported missing, the police were able to track them to the school and found the two of them lying in the hallway in a pool of blood. The article states that the boyfriend had been beheaded and that the girl had been eviscerated with her female organs removed. Once again, both were missing their hearts.

"Either we've got one hell of a sadistic spirit, or a satanic cult has set up shop in that old school" Dean surmised. "Oh well, better hit the sack Sammy, sounds like we've got our work cut out for us tomorrow and we'll need all the rest we can get."

"I call first shower" Sam said as he shut down his laptop and grabbed some clean boxers and a t-shirt from his duffle bag. He knew damn well that he would be left with nothing but cold water if Dean got in there first.

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Dean woke up early the next morning to the sound of something banging on the wall. He groaned as he heard the unmistakable sounds of a couple moaning and making out in the next room. From the sounds of the bedsprings, the couple must have been doing some aerobatic love making. "Just my luck" he said as he rubbed a hand through his mussed up hair and glanced at the time. "_Holy shit, who in their right mind would want to make out so frantically at six o'clock in the damn morning"_ he thought as he threw the blankets off and sat up. He looked over to see Sam still asleep with the blankets wrapped haphazardly around his legs and his hair sticking out in all directions.

"Looks like you had a restless night there little brother" he whispered as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt. He decided to let Sammy sleep while he went out to make a breakfast and coffee run, making sure to leave a note just in case Sammy woke up and wondered where he was. He grabbed his leather jacket and put it on before picking up his keys and heading toward the door. After checking the salt lines and laying the blanket from his bed over Sammy, he eased the door open gently to avoid waking his little brother and then made sure it was firmly shut and locked behind him. "Yes" he stated with a pump of his fist happy to see that the snow had finally stopped falling and that roads were now clear.

Wondering where he should go to pick up breakfast, he remembered seeing an IHOP or International House of Pancakes on the way into town and decided to stop there to order breakfast. He knew how much Sam loved strawberry pancakes and he could get himself a Belgian waffle making for some damned good eating. It was only a few miles down the road so he wouldn't be leaving Sammy alone and unprotected for too long.

Entering the restaurant, he placed his order for the pancakes and waffle and also ordered sausage and bacon to go with both plates as well as two cups of coffee and two orange juices to go. As he waited for his order, he flirted with a few of the waitresses and had even garnered two telephone numbers. Who knows, he might get lucky in this town after all.

After his order was ready, he paid for the food and then made the ten minute drive back to the motel. He balanced the food and drinks precariously in one hand as he unlocked the door and opened it. He smiled at the sight of Sammy still sleeping in his bed. Sam had managed to curl his long frame up into a fetal position and his hands were clasped together with his head positioned on them reminding Dean of the way a four year old Sammy used to sleep. How he missed those times when Sammy was still innocent to the horrors of the world.

Walking inside, Dean placed the breakfast food on the side table and booted up the laptop to do some more research on the hunt while he waited for his baby brother to wake up so that they could eat. As he researched, he found that Miss Warrick's School for Fine Young Ladies was established in 1922 by an old spinster named Trinity Jane Warrick who was raised by a father who, by all accounts, was strict disciplinarian and demanded respect from his only daughter at all times. Her mother had died when she was only ten and Trinity had run away at the age of fifteen to get away from the father whom she had accused of mental and sexual abuse.

As he continued to scan the information, Dean found that the first murder had occurred in 1926 and that there had been a total of thirteen girls killed in all before the headmistresses reign of terror had been ended when she was finally killed by police in a raid on the school. Her final resting place was in a paupers grave on the school ground since the people of the town refused to allow her to be buried in the city cemetery_. "That should make her body easier to find and salt and burn" _he thought just as he heard movement coming from Sammy's bed.

"About damned time you woke up little brother" Dean stated with a smirk. "I thought I would starve to death before you finished with your sleeping beauty imitation."

"Time is it?" Sam inquired as he rubbed his eyes with his hands and yawned.

"It's seven thirty in the a.m. and our breakfast is way beyond cold by now." Dean answered.

"Why didn't you wake me dude?" Sam questioned as he threw off the blanket and sat up on the bed.

"Because it looked like you had a rough night tiger and I wanted to make sure you got enough sleep, especially with us going on a hunt tonight" Dean said as he walked over and mussed Sam's hair.

"So what did you get for breakfast, I'm starved" Sam asked through another yawn as he pulled on his favorite pair of frayed blue jeans that had holes in both the knees.

"I stopped by the IHOP and got you those strawberry pancakes you love so well" Dean said with a grin.

"No way, that's awesome dude" Sam said as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of thrilling his taste buds with his most favorite breakfast yet. As he ate, Sam actually found himself looking forward to a day of more research as well as cleaning and preparing their weapons for the night ahead.

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Later that evening, Dean and Sam had packed the gear they would need for the hunt and had hit the road. Dean knew they would have to approach the school under the guise of night because of the police presence that was bound to be there. As they drove past the school, Dean noticed the police car sitting across the road with two officers inside intently watching the front entrance. He also took notice of the two officers who were patrolling the grounds using flashlights. "Looks like we're going to have to make a stealthy approach on this one little brother" Dean said as he drove approximately a mile further on down the road before pulling off into an area of dense foliage and bushes that would camouflage the car from passersby.

After climbing out of the midnight black Impala and gathering their gear, the brothers silently hiked back to the school. As they neared the back of the building, Dean raised his hand in a fist to signal Sammy to stop. Both brothers knelt down as Dean gave silent signals pointing out the two officers that were now patrolling on foot. Once they made their rounds and returned to their cruiser, Dean motioned for Sammy to cover him while he made his approach to the school. After Dean made his way to the back entrance, he motioned for Sam to make his move. It took only a moment for Sam to arrive at his side and he covered Sam's back while his brother picked the lock at the rear entrance of the building.

It took less than thirty seconds for Sam to pick the lock and push the door open. He and Dean eased inside and then quietly closed the door behind him. Dean took lead as always making sure that he would be the first to face any danger that lay ahead. He had been Sammy's first line of protection for as long as he could remember and it would always stay that way as far as he was concerned. As he started down the hallway of the old school, he brushed away the cobwebs as he winced at the creaking sound made by the floorboards. He hoped they wouldn't be loud enough to warn the officers outside that something was amiss.

As Dean opened the first door on his right, he quickly scanned the room for any signs of ghostly activity while Sammy scanned the one on the left. Finding nothing, the brothers moved on to the next two rooms that were further on down the hall. Dean felt like they were most likely wasting their time searching the rooms since had a gut feeling that they wouldn't find anything on the upper floor of the school. He just had an uncanny feeling that they were looking for a satanic alter and that it would be found in the hidden passageway or torture chamber where the girls had been killed.

Finding nothing in the first hall, Dean turned the corner and started down the second hallway with Sammy right behind him. He had only gone a few feet when he heard a sound that made the blood freeze in his veins. He whipped around just in time to see Sammy collapsing to his left knee in pain as his right leg went through the splintered boards on the floor. He saw Sam choke back a scream as tears flooded his eyes. Dean immediately swore in anger wondering just how bad his baby brother had been hurt.

**TBC **_**Should I continue?**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Lessons in Pain ch. 2**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

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**Previously: **_Dean whipped around just in time to see Sammy collapsing to his left knee in pain as his right leg went through the splintered boards on the floor. He saw Sam choke back a scream as tears flooded his eyes. Dean immediately swore in anger wondering just how bad his baby brother had been hurt._

"Son of a bitch, what the hell just happened" Dean asked as he rushed over to his younger brother.

"I don't know man, I was just following you and the floor gave way" Sammy panted as beads of perspiration rolled down his face. Sam lay back on the floor and regulated his breathing like his dad had taught him to do years ago to control the pain. His leg felt like it had a frigging spike driven through it and was hurting like hell. How could he have known the floor board was so weak when Dean had stepped into the same area just seconds ago.

"Well hold still so I can check out the damage" Dean stated as he inched closer towards the area where Sam's leg went through the floorboard. "If you weren't such a freaking Gigantor…" Dean trailed off as he saw the blood leaking from Sam's leg and the way that the splintered board had pierced his right thigh.

"What, how bad is it?" Sam asked through clenched teeth as he tears leaked from the corner of his eyes. He could feel the warmth running down his thigh and onto his shin.

"S'not too bad" Dean answered with a tinge of untruthfulness wondering how in the world he was going to free his baby brother without causing him a world of pain. If he made one wrong move, he knew he could damage the femoral artery causing a world of trouble. Taking a deep breath, he said "Try to hold still Sammy, I've got to break the end of this jagged wood off so I can pull your leg out dude."

Sam flinched as he felt the wood shift into his leg just from his brother touching it. He wished he were unconscious knowing how bad this was probably going to hurt. He took a shuddering breath and nodded his head indicating he was ready for Dean to proceed.

Dean tried to smile at his brother but it came out more of a grimace instead. "On three kiddo" he said as he wrapped his hand around the jagged edges of the board. "One, two" and he gave a quick snap on what he thought was the weakest part of the splintered wood near where it had entered Sam's thigh. He felt the tremors course through Sammy's leg and then still. He glanced up to see his baby brother was unconscious with blood leaking from the right side of his mouth.

"Shit" he gasped as he struggled to pull Sam's leg from the hole. He knew Sam had most likely bit the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out in pain and then succumbed to it as it became too much to bear. "I'm so sorry for hurting you tiger" he said as he pulled the first aid kit from his duffle bag. He opened up the lid of the white box with the red cross painted on top and sifted through the contents. He pulled out a pressure bandage, tweezers, scissors, some gauze, and the small bottle of peroxide. Using the scissors, he cut a large hole in Sammy's jeans so he could clean the wound and bandage it. He poured peroxide over the wound to stem off infection. Next, he picked up the tweezers, glad that Sammy was unconscious for this part. Using the tweezers, he dug into Sammy's leg and pulled out three large splinters that had imbedded themselves firmly into Sammy's leg. He cringed when he heard Sam moan in pain knowing it must have hurt like hell for Sammy to feel what he was doing even in unconsciousness. After making sure there was no more splinters, large or small, he poured peroxide over the wound once again and then applied pressure until the bleeding had reduced to a trickle. He then opened the sterile pressure bandage and placed it over the wound then wrapped it with a decent amount of gauze.

Finishing up with Sam's leg, he moved his hands up to Sammy's face and carded his fingers though his brother's hair. "Time to wake up sleeping beauty" he said as he pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped the sweat from Sammy's face. He shifted his brother so that Sammy's head was lying in his lap. "Come on dude, time to open those blue green peepers of yours" He was rewarded almost instantly as he saw Sam blink a few times and then open his eyes.

"About time bitch" he stated with a smile as he cupped his brother's cheek with his hand.

"De'n…happened?" Sam questioned as he tried to sit up only to be held down by Dean's firm grasp.

"You passed out dude" Dean answered with a slight smirk, not willing to pick on his brother too much since Sammy had scared the hell out of him.

""Didn't pass out…just taking a n-nap" Sam informed his brother with a slight smile.

"Yea, and I'm the freaking Easter Bunny" Dean said in response happy to hear Sam bantering with him. "You ready to try and stand up? Dean questioned as he helped Sammy to sitting position.

"I g-guess so" Sam replied as he allowed Dean to pull him to his feet. With Dean by his side, he took a hesitant step forward putting pressure on his wounded leg. He gasped as white hot pain shot through his leg and he felt it immediately give out. He felt himself starting to fall only to be hoisted back up quickly as Dean caught him beneath his arms.

"Woah, easy there Sasquatch" Dean said as he pulled one of Sam's arms around his shoulders and held him to his side. "Come on dude, we've got to get you out of here. There's no way you are hunting on that leg tonight."

"M'fine, just give me a minute and I'll be good to go. We need to finish this hunt" Sam extolled trying unsuccessfully to hide the tremors coursing through his leg not wanting the hunt called off because of him.

"Yeah, well I'm not. I'm starting to feel a little under the weather. So we're just going to wait and come back tomorrow night" Dean lied knowing Sammy wouldn't agree to leaving any other way. Not giving Sam a chance to say anything more, Dean reached down and repacked the first aid kit into his duffle bag and then slung it over his other shoulder. As he started to lead Sam back out of the building, he walked slowly making sure to test the floorboards before steeping on them. He wasn't about to allow his baby brother to get hurt again on his watch.

By the time they started down the hallway, Dean could feel Sammy leaning a little more heavily on him as his right leg became weaker under the strain of having to walk. He could hear the quick panting breaths that Sam was taking as he tried to control the pain in his injured limb. Once outside, he helped Sam to prop up against the side wall while he covertly scanned for any police activity. Thankful for the dark storm cloud cover, Dean was ecstatic to see that the cops were in their cruiser drinking from a styrofoam cup and most likely munching on donuts. That would give him the time he needed to get his little brother to the safety of the trees without being caught.

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"Okay kiddo, let's just take a minute or two to rest" Dean said helping Sammy to sit on a fallen log after they had made their way far enough into the white birch trees and shrubbery surrounding the property to mask their presence. He could see the toll that walking was taking on his little brother. Sam's skin had become a deathly shade of white and he was sweating profusely which wasn't good seeing how it was getting pretty damned cold. Glancing down at Sammy's leg, Dean could see the red stain that was starting to spread out on the white gauze. _"Damn, he'll never make it back to the car under his own steam" _Dean thought as he rubbed his hand across his mouth.

"Come on tiger, time to move" Dean encouraged after they had rested for approximately ten minutes. He knew he needed to get Sammy back to the car and dose him in pain meds before taking a close look at his leg to make sure he had gotten all of the splinters out. They had only taken a few dozen steps when the storm clouds burst and the freezing rain began to pour down in torrents. "Son of a bitch" Dean grumbled coldly as the freezing rain soaked them within minutes. He knew without a doubt that what had been only a one mile hike in was going to seem more like a twenty mile hike out.

They had only gone a quarter of a mile when Sammy's leg buckled upon stepping on a patch of ice and he and Dean hit the ground. Dean grit his teeth in pain as he felt his ankle twist and flare up in pain from landing harshly on it. He immediately lost his focus on his own pain however as he noticed the way that Sammy was cradling his right leg with tears running full force down his bright red cheeks.

"Oh God Sammy, are you okay?" he rasped out as he rubbed his brother's back in comfort though he didn't know if Sammy could feel it through his jacket or not.

"Hu-hurts" Sam whispered breathlessly as he tried to massage the muscles that were now seizing up in his right leg.

"Let me help" Dean voiced as he blew on his hands to warm them up and then started massaging the youngest Winchester's leg_. "Damn no wonder he's in pain"_ Dean thought as he kneaded the muscled knots just under Sammy' skin. As he massaged the muscles, Dean glanced up to his brother's face and noticed the way that Sammy's eyes were taking on a glazed look, the way they always did when his brother was getting sick. " Gotta get you out of this weather dude" Dean mumbled as he kept up his ministrations until the bunched up muscles relaxed and Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

"M'okay, I can walk now" Sam uttered as he reached out a hand for Dean to pull him up. He was taken by surprise however as Dean efficiently hauled him over his shoulder into a fireman's carry.

"Damn it Dean, put me down, I told you I could walk" Sam stuttered out through chattering teeth even though his leg was saying otherwise.

"I know you can kiddo, I just though I'd practice my fireman's carry just in case I ever decide to try out for the fire department" Dean said with a smirk even though his ankle was now sending stabbing pains through his leg with the extra added weight of Sammy's bulk. Dean knew he needed to get Sammy out of the sleet and rain before he caught pneumonia.

Just when Dean thought he couldn't go any further, he could see the outline of his beloved baby through the trees giving him the renewed strength to finish his appointed task. He trudged through the ice and mud until he propped Sammy up against his beloved car. Opening the passenger door, he gently placed Sammy inside and then walked quickly to the trunk where he pulled out their dad's old army blanket. He wrapped it securely around Sam and tucked him in before closing the door. Running around to the driver's side, he climbed into the car quickly himself and then reached over to grab a small tan container. He popped the white child proof cap off and took out two of the small white pills inside.

"Take these dude" Dean pronounced as he held out the pills in his palm while grabbing a bottle of water from the backseat.

Sam reached over and took the pills before chasing them down with water not bothering to ask what they were. He wearily smiled his thanks and then propped his head against the window too tired to do anything else as Dean gunned the engine and pulled out onto the road making sure to turn the heat on full force.

By the time that they made it back to the motel room, Sammy had slipped off into a drug induced slumber. After climbing out of the car, Dean walked around to the passenger side and eased the door open. 'Time to wake up sleeping beauty" he announced as he carded his fingers through Sam's hair. He didn't like the heat coming off of his brother's skin and reached up to palm Sam's forehead.

"Come on Sammy, we've got to get you inside and get that fever taken care of" he announced as he pulled Sammy to a standing position. He helped Sam to walk into the room on unsteady legs and then sat him on the edge of the bed that was furthest from the door. He pulled off Sam's wet jacket as Sam's head bobbled on his shoulders before resting down towards his chest. He heard a slight snore as he gently lay Sam down on the bed and then wrestled off his wet jeans leaving Sam in just his boxers.

"Damn, am I glad you're asleep" Dean enunciated as he unwrapped Sam's leg and pulled off the bloody bandage. Using a penlight, he was happy to see that he had indeed gotten all of the splinters of wood out and that no infection seemed to be setting in. He cleaned the wound once more and wrapped it again before taking care of his own ankle. Dean pulled the comforter off of his own bed and threw it over Sammy before prodding him awake just long enough to take a couple of Tylenol before climbing into bed himself hoping things would be better in the morning.

**TBC **_**No evil cliffy this time**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Lessons in Pain Ch. 3**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

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**Previously: **_Dean pulled the comforter off of his own bed and threw it over Sammy before prodding him awake just long enough to take a couple of Tylenol before climbing into bed himself hoping things would be better in the morning._

Dean awoke abruptly in the middle of the night unsure of what had him prodded him from sleep. He glanced around the motel room to see that everything was as it should have been. He could feel a dull throbbing in his ankle and assumed that had been the culprit, that is until he heard the hacking sound of hoarse coughing coming from his baby brother's bed. "Crap" he mumbled as he pushed himself from the warm comfort of the blankets he had cocooned himself into. He immediately felt a slight shiver as the cool air of the motel room assaulted him since he was dressed only in boxers. He winced as he stood up, the pressure of standing causing his ankle to throb even more. Pushing the pain to the back of his mind, he hobbled over to the bed to check on his baby brother.

As he knelt beside Sammy's bed, he could see the sheen of sweat glistening on Sammy's face not to mention the way that his soaked bangs were plastered to his forehead. He gently placed a hand on Sammy's forehead with the palm side down. "Damn kiddo, you're burning up" he gasped as he immediately snatched the blankets away from his baby brother's body causing Sam to groan in discomfort. He had to get the kid cooled down as quickly as possible. He ran into the bathroom and turned on the faucets after plugging the bath tub to fill it with tepid water to cool his brother down.

Returning to the room, Dean gently shook Sammy by the shoulders. "Come on dude, time to wake" he goaded.

"Stop De, Le' me 'lone" mumbled Sam as he tried to push his brothers hands away sleepily.

"Sorry, no can do tiger, we've got to get you cooled down some" Dean regretfully informed his brother hating to disturb his sleep. He reached out and grasped Sam by the upper arms and pulled him into a sitting position. He quickly had to steady his brother as Sam immediately began to waver on the bed. "Easy there princess" Dean voiced as his concern skyrocketed. Sammy was really out of it.

"Alright Sammy, let's get you on your feet" Dean encouraged as he slowly began to force Sam into a standing position. He wrapped one arm around Sam's waist while pulling one of Sam's around his shoulder and started guiding them both forward. Allowing Sam the modesty of keeping his boxers on, Dean led him over to the half filled tub and helped him to sit on the edge. After checking to make sure that the water was the right temperature, he turned the faucets off and grabbed a washcloth of the rack that it was hanging on. "Here goes nothing" he said as he lifted Sam's legs into the tub and then lowered his brother so that he was sitting in the water.

"Nooooo" moaned Sam as he felt his body submerged in icy cold water wondering how in the world he had ended up outside in a freezing river. The last thing he remembered was sitting in the Impala wrapped up in a blanket. He tried to push himself up out of the water but felt hands holding him down. "De-an 'elp me-me" he stuttered out with a feeling of immense fear.

"S'okay Sammy, I've got you" Dean whispered into his baby brother's ear as he supported his younger sibling who was weak from fever. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you kiddo, just relax."

""C-Can't, too c-cold, S'killing m-me" Sam whined as he tried to once again push himself out of the water.

""Just a few more minutes kiddo, I swear" Dean voiced with tears starting to brim in his eyes. He couldn't stand causing his baby brother pain even though it was for his own good.

"Hate me?" Sammy questioned in his fevered delirium.

"God No, I could never hate you little brother. You are the most important thing in my life. You always have been, always will be" Dean replied knowing truer words were never spoken.

"Kay" Sam mumbled as he finally relaxed his struggles allowing Dean to support his weakened body.

Dean breathed a sigh of relief as Sam finally stopped struggling allowing him to pick up the wash cloth and sluice the lukewarm water over Sam's heated skin. Approximately five minutes later, after he felt Sammy's fever had dropped some, he helped his brother to stand and then wrapped a large cottony towel around his waist before reaching under it to pull off his wet boxers. He used another towel to dry Sammy off and then helped him to dress in dry boxers and a pair of jogging pants. After he got his little brother to take another dose of Tylenol and antibiotics, he dragged a mostly asleep Sammy out of the bathroom and helped him to lay down on the bed. Sam was slightly snoring before Dean could even pull a blanket up over his body.

Pulling their tympanic thermometer out of the first aid kit, Dean sat on the edge of Sam's bed and placed the tip into Sam's ear and waited for the beep. A moment later he was relieved to see a reading of 101.2. It was still a little high for his liking, but hopefully the Tylenol would kick in soon and the fever would abate. "Sleep well tiger" Dean said as he brushed the hair from Sammy's eyes before limping back over to his own bed. He dry swallowed a couple of Tylenols for pain and then climbed under the covers. He glanced over to make sure that Sammy was resting comfortably before fading off to sleep himself.

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Late the next morning, Sam was awakened by the smell of coffee. He opened his eyes to see Dean waving a cup of steaming black coffee under his nose with a huge smile on is face.

"It's about damn time you woke up little brother. I was beginning to think you were going to sleep the whole day away" Dean smirked as he watched Sammy push himself up with a wince and lean against the headboard.

"Time is it?" Sam questioned as he reached out to take the offered cup of coffee with the steam billowing from the top.

"It's eleven thirty five, you've slept away most of the morning kiddo" Dean answered as he ruffled Sam's sleep mussed hair.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Sam couldn't believe he had actually slept so long since he was always an early riser. He couldn't remember the last time that he hadn't woke up with the morning sunrise.

"You needed your sleep princess" Dean answered as he reached out and placed a palm on Sam's forehead. He was relieved to find that Sam was much cooler than last night and only had a low grade fever.

"Yeah, thanks. So uh, did you leave me anything to eat?" Sam asked just as his stomach rumbled rather loudly.

"Of course I did bitch. Ya think I would let my baby brother go hungry?" Dean questioned as he tossed a white paper sack to his brother. Sam opened the sack to find a couple of sausage biscuits and hash brown from the local McDonald's.

"Thanks dude" Sam grinned as he tore open one of the sandwiches and swallowed most of it in one bite. "So what are we going to do about the hunt Dean? I mean, we are gonna go back out there tonight and take care of that psychotic spirit before she can hurt anybody else aren't we?"

"Hell no Sammy, you're recovering from a pretty bad fever and one hell of a leg wound, not to mention the fact that I sprained my damn ankle last night. The freaking hunt can wait until we're up to it."

"Dean we can't take any chances with waiting. We uh…" Sam grimaced as he grabbed the bridge of his nose. "We've got too…" Sam shook his head as his vision began to go fuzzy on him. "Shit, we can't allow….GUH" Sam moaned out as he began to waver on the bed. The last thing Sam saw was his brother running towards him as his head exploded in pain and scenes started flashing before his eyes.

_**Flash: **__Dean lying on the floor with blood seeping from his right shoulder and a look of terror in his eyes. __**Flash: **__A woman in dressed in a red silk robe standing over his brother and holding a gold goblet filled with a dark visceral liquid. __**Flash: **__Dean screaming out in pain as a cattle prod is shoved into his wounded shoulder. __**Flash: **__Dean tied down to a metal slab and gagged with a filthy rag in his mouth. The movie then plays out in low motion as Sam is forced to watch the evil spirit dressed in the red silk robe pull a hack saw off of the shelf beside the metal slab where his brother is tied down. He sees the sheer terror in Dean's eyes as the woman slowly walks towards him lovingly caressing the blade. He hears his brother scream out in pain as the saw is placed on his arm near the shoulder. He gags as the woman begins moving the saw back and forth. Dean screams in agony as blood starts to seep from his shoulder as the skin spits under the relentlessness of the saw. He watches as Dean's body jerks in agony as the saw sinks deep into his arm and a grinding sound is heard when the saw connects with bone. Sam hears himself screaming as his brother's eyes roll back in his head and his breathing shudders to a stop and then Sam mercifully passes out._

Dean knows the moment Sam loses his train of thought and grabs the bridge of his nose that his brother is about to have another one of those damned visions he's been cursed to suffer. He starts running towards his brother as Sam begins to waver on the bed. He arrives at Sammy's side just in time to catch him before he falls off the bed. He pulls Sam into his arms and rocks his brother as Sam begins to ride out the vision. He hates the far away look in Sam's eyes and wishes he could go through the vision for him, spare him the pain that comes with them and the freaking migraine that comes afterwards.

Dean's fears ratchet up as he feels Sam begin to tremble in his arms. He pulls his brother tight to his chest when Sammy arches and screams out in terror before collapsing as a dead weight in his arms. "Son of a bitch, what the hell did you just see?" Dean questions aloud knowing that Sammy doesn't hear him in his state of unconsciousness as he lays his baby brother down gently on the bed. He rushes to the bathroom and runs a washcloth under the cold tap water. He walks quickly back to his brother's bed and bathes Sammy's face and forehead with the cool cloth whispering words of assurance. He feels an errant tear slip down his cheek as he begs Sammy to wake up.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Lessons in Pain Ch. 4**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

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**Previously: **_Dean rushed to the bathroom and ran a washcloth under the cold tap water. He walked quickly back to his brother's bed and bathed Sammy's face and forehead with the cool cloth whispering words of assurance. He felt an errant tear slip down his cheek as he begged Sammy to wake up. _

The minutes seemed to pass by in ultra slow motion as Dean waited for his baby brother to wake up. As he waited, he wondered what he would say to Sammy upon awaking to alleviate the horrifying sights that he had witnessed. He hated the fact that Sam had to witness the damned visions alone and that he was unable to protect him from them. It wasn't fair that he was forced to sit on the sidelines and be a witness to his brother's pain. He pulled Sammy in closer as he buried his face into Sam's chocolate brown locks. "I'm here for ya kiddo, whenever you're ready to wake up and talk."

As Sam started to come around, he felt himself enveloped in a pair of strong arms, arms that he would recognize anywhere. Those arms had always been his shelter from the storm as he grew up. Anytime he felt upset or in need of support, he would cocoon himself into those arms and his worries and fears would melt away. Now that he was grown, he missed that warm embrace only feeling it in dire or life threatening situations. He wanted to stay within those arms and pretend the world and it's problems--_his problems_--didn't exist. But as he became more lucid, his memories of the vision assaulted his mind. He gasped as he remembered the horrific way that his brother was tortured and he began to tremble.

"Sammy?" Dean questioned as he felt his brother beginning to stir. He could feel the miniscule movements in his brother's body that suggested he was finally making his way towards consciousness. Dean felt relief in knowing that Sammy would soon be awake, but that feeling was shattered as soon as he felt the tremors that overtook his little brother's body. "Shh, it's okay dude, I've got you" Dean crooned as he tightened his hold around his baby brother. For a few tense moments, no words were spoken as Deal allowed his brother the time to get himself together and calm down. As he felt Sammy finally relax into his hold and the trembles subside, Dean decided to ask the question he had been dreading since Sam had passed out. He knew he had to get Sammy to talk or he would internalize everything he saw and eventually crumble under the weight of keeping it to himself.

"So tiger, you want to tell me what you saw in that vision?" Dean asked as he finally relinquished his hold on Sammy and moved to sit in front of him.

"I don't remember" Sam lied as he lowered his eyes and fiddled with some stray strings on the worn out blue comforter that covered the bed.

"Come on dude, I know that's not true. You need to tell me what you saw so we can talk about it." Dean encouraged.

"It was nothing Dean, just a stupid dream about lollipops and candy canes." Sam voiced softly as he lay down on the bed and turned his back to his brother. He really didn't feel like discussing things right now, especially since he was barely able to conceal the tears that were now forming in his eyes.

"Lollipops and candy canes usually invoke a smile Sammy and you are so NOT smiling little brother."

"Please Dean, just leave it alone" Sam whispered as the tears silently rolled down his nose and cheek and onto his pillow.

"I'm sorry kiddo, but I just can't do that, not after seeing how much it is affecting you" Dean said as he rubbed comforting circles on Sam's back with his hand. "Look Sammy, maybe we can change the outcome if you share what you saw with me. You know what dad always said, forewarned is forearmed."

Sam sighed deeply as he thought over Dean's words. Maybe Dean was right. If he knew what to expect, he would be more vigilant on the hunt. He raised his left hand to wipe the tears from his eyes and then rolled over to look at his brother. "It was about the hunt. We we're at the school and you, uh, you were..." Sam stumbled over his words as the vivid scenes popped back into his mind.

"I was what Sammy?" Dean prodded to get his brother talking again as he grasped him by the knee and gave it a gentle squeeze in support.

"You were be-being tor-tortured. This woman, she was dressed in some kind of red silk robe and you were injured. It looked like she had collected some of your blood in a goblet and then she used a cattle prod and she, uh , she stuck it into your shoulder which had already been severely injured. She uh, she, Oh God Dean" Sam groaned as he covered his face with his hands.

"It's okay Sammy, everything's fine. What else did you see?"

"She was torturing you Dean. She had you tied to a metal slab and she was, she was sawing your arm off and you were screaming and I couldn't do anything about it. Oh God, she killed you Dean and I couldn't stop it. It's my fault, Oh God I'm sorry." Sam stated in a rush as the words tumbled out of his mouth in a rush.

"Calm down kiddo, I'm right here beside you and nothing has happened yet. Believe me, now that your vision has shown us what could happen, we'll be ready to face the bitch when the time comes. I promise you kiddo that your vision will not, and I repeat WILL NOT come true." Dean silently swore to himself to make the bitch pay before he salted and burned her ass after putting Sammy through the terror of watching him die a gruesome death. Needing the time to think things through, he said "Okay tiger, now why don't' you go get a shower and then I'll re-bandage that leg of yours once you're finished." He grabbed a clean pair of boxers and some sweats for his baby brother and then helped him as he limped into the bathroom. He made sure that Sammy was steady on his feet before exiting to allow him some privacy.

After Dean heard the shower turn on, he walked quietly out the door leaving it slightly ajar in case he was needed, He pulled out his cell phone and scanned the list of names. Seeing the one he needed, he pushed the button and waited.

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Bobby was sitting in his kitchen reading the paper as he munched on a lunch of hotdogs and his world famous chili before going out to finish up working on the classic black 1957 Thunderbird Convertible sitting out in his salvage yard. He had just gulped down a mouthful of beer to quench the fire in his mouth from the four alarm chili when he heard the phone ringing.

"Who the hell could that be?" he wondered as he dropped the paper he was reading on the table. He wiped his hands on a wet dishcloth before walking over and picking up the phone receiver. "Singer here, what can I do for ya?"

"_Hey Bobby, it's Dean."_

"Dean you sound kind of upset, is something wrong with Sammy."

"_No, he's fine, or at least he will be in a day or two. Listen Bobby, I need to know if you've heard of any satanic cults setting up shop near Westmoreland New Hampshire?"_

"I haven't heard of anything myself Dean but I can make a few inquiries for ya. Just what have you and Sam stumbled onto?"

"_Probably nothing. It's just that Sam had one of his visions and it left him kind of shaken. Anyway, in his vision, there was a woman who was wearing a red silk robe and she had a goblet full of what he though was blood."_

"What else aren't you telling me Dean? I can hear in your voice that you're hiding something from me boy."

"_The person that was being tortured in the vision was me. Damn Bobby, the vision terrified the kid so much that he passed out because of it."_

"Shit, that's not good. Listen up Dean, I don't want you boys going back into that school until I make a few inquiries and get back to you. I mean it Dean, don't go getting all gung ho and doing something foolish ya damned idjit."

"_We can't do anything for a day or two anyway. Sammy hurt his leg when it went through the floorboards at the old school. We'll have to lay low for a day or so until Sam can put pressure on that leg without it causing him too much pain."_

"S'not good. You boys need me to come up there and give ya a hand?"

"_Nah, we're good. Just get me the information as soon as you can. Listen Bobby, I've got to go, Sam just turned the shower off so I'll have to re-bandage his leg for him." _

Dean clicked his phone shut and walked back into the motel room deciding to keep the phone conversation to himself for a while. He knew Sam wouldn't react well to his having called Bobby to inquire about satanic cults being in the area. Walking over to the bathroom door, he knocked and asked "You need any help in there bro?"

"Just give me a minute" he heard Sam holler as he stood by the door and waited. A couple of minutes later, he watched as Sam opened the door dressed in sweats and leaning heavily against the wall. He could see the pain lines on Sammy's face from having stood on his injured leg to long.

"Let's get you to the bed dude and I'll get your pain meds for you" Dean said as he position himself under one Sam's arms and slowly helped he walk over to the bed. Once he got Sammy settled with his injured leg propped up on a pillow, he retrieved the first aid kit from his duffle bag and pulled out some prescription Tylenol with codeine. It would be enough to take care of the pain without making Sam loopy and knocking him out.

As he took care of getting Sam's leg re-bandaged, he asked "What do you say we kick back and relax today, watch a little television, I hear there is a horror movie marathon playing on HBO. Remember the fun we used to have as teenagers pointing out everything wrong as we laughed at their supposedly scary storylines?" Dean questioned.

"Dean, I'm not really in the mood to watch any horror flicks. Why don't you give me my laptop and I'll do some research on the hunt while you watch the movies" Sam replied.

"Spoil sport. You're not any fun today" Dean grumbled as he got the laptop and carried it to his little brother. It wouldn't be as much fun watching the movies without his geeky little brother.

**TBC **_Okay, this one was just a filler chapter but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Look for the hunt to start again in the next chapter._


	5. Chapter 5

**Lessons in Pain Ch. 5**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

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After a few days of recuperating and Dean mother-henning him to death, Sam was more than ready to get back to the hunt. He was feeling that gut wrenching need to get out of the motel room and kick some supernatural ass before he totally lost his mind. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate Dean taking care of him and meeting his every need, because he really did. But there comes a time when a guy needs some time to himself and he couldn't get that with the way Dean had been hovering over him and feeling his forehead fifty times a day.

As Dean exited the bathroom with his hair dripping wet and wearing nothing but a sky blue towel, Sam decided it was time to plead his case. "Hey Dean, I think it's about time we get back to the hunt. I'm feeling fine and look---I can even stand on my leg without wincing in pain. I'm going crazy here man being cooped up in this room and you wouldn't want that would ya? I mean how would…"

Dean burst out laughing at the way Sammy was rumbling on. He wondered how long it would take the kid to get tired of being treated like an invalid.

"Dean, it's not funny man" Sam pouted as he threw up his hands in frustration. "I really…"

"Whoa, hold it right there dude, I'm not laughing at you. I just find it kind of funny that you're rambling on trying to convince me about going back to the hunt when I've already decided that we would head back out to the school tonight" Dean informed his little brother.

"Well you could have at least told me" Sam said as he rolled his eyes in frustration.

"I was going to princess as soon as I got out of the shower, but you never gave me a chance to speak" Dean smirked as the threw off his towel and pulled on a pair of clean boxers and blue jeans. "By the way, I talked to Bobby the other day and had him check for any signs of possible satanic cults in the area. He said he couldn't find anything but that didn't mean they weren't in the area."

"I've been thinking Dean, what about a copy cat killer. Do you think we might have some psycho on our hands who heard about the satanic bitch and is trying to scare the residents of the town?"

"Could be Sammy, but whatever the hell it is that is causing the killings, it stops and it stops tonight. Get your jacket on Samantha, we're going to get something to eat and I don't want you getting sick on me again" Dean informed Sammy as he finished dressing and pulled his own coat on. He waited for Sam and held open the door for him and watched his baby brother walk to the car surreptitiously watching for any signs of noticeable limping on the injured leg.

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As they sat munching on their evening meal, Dean thought about the night ahead. He would have to make damned sure he kept a close eye on Sam. There was no way he was allowing him to get hurt on his watch again if he had anything to say about it. He was pissed with himself for allowing Sam to get hurt in the first place. He should have known to be cautious of the floorboards since the school building was so freaking old.

"Hey Sam, I don't want you taking any chances on this hunt tonight. I know you're worried about your vision, but I can take care of myself dude. So don't even think about putting yourself in harm's way trying to save me or I'll kick your ass myself" Dean informed Sammy just before taking another bite of his triple-decker hamburger that was smothered in ketchup, mustard and onions.

Sam shook his head incredulously as he munched on his own grilled chicken sandwich. "Dean whether you like it or not, protectiveness goes both ways. I'm not just gonna stand by and allow you to get hurt if I can help it so just chill out man."

"You sure are a stubborn bitch, you know that kiddo" Dean replied knowing that Sammy would do just what he said. He'd just have to make sure he was extra cautious and aware of his surroundings and maybe they could both get out of there tonight with nothing more than a bruise or two. _"Yeah right, since when have we been that lucky"_ he thought sourly.

"I learned from the best" Sam retorted with a straight face as he stared his brother directly into the eye.

"Yeah, dad was definitely a good teacher wasn't he. The two of your were always like two peas in a pod but too damned stubborn to admit it" Dean stated with a grin as he saw Sam's mouth drop open in shock. Looking content with himself, he said "I'm just too good with the comebacks tiger, you'll never be able to out smart me!"

"Jerk" Sam replied with a smile thinking that Dean couldn't be more right.

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Later that evening after darkness fell, Dean approached the school from a little known back road that he had found on an early scouting expedition to make sure that Sammy didn't have to hike the mile in from the other position. He parked the black muscle car in an area where it would be shielded by shrubbery and dense foliage and then got the gear they would need from the trunk to complete the hunt. Handing a gun and the lightest duffle over to Sammy, he said "Let's get this show on the road dude."

Dean and Sam silently made their way to Miss Warrick's School for Fine Young Ladies unheeded by the cops that were still patrolling the area. They covertly made their way inside the building with Dean taking extra care to make sure the floor boards beneath were sturdy enough before moving on. As they neared the area where Sam's leg went through the floor, Dean tensed and glanced back at his baby brother just to make sure he was still okay. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before moving on.

After checking all the rooms and establishing there was no spirits near with the EMF meter, Dean and Sam made their way towards the basement to try and locate the secret passageway that led to the torture chamber. Dean had no doubts about it's location being underground because it would be the perfect sound proof barrier to keep the screams being unheard when the girls had been tortured. Pointing towards the door, he signaled for Sammy to open it while he covered him.

Sam reached out towards the door with a steady hand and gingerly turned the knob. He prayed that the door hinges wouldn't squeak too loudly and announce their arrival to anyone who might be waiting on them. He pulled the door slightly and winced when the door gave a loud groaning sound upon opening. "Crap" he muttered stopping when the door was open enough that they could get a good look inside.

Dean eased around his little brother and tested the top step with his foot before shining his flashlight into the basement. He gave a slight shiver at all the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and around the stairs. _"Damn, I hope a spider doesn't crawl down my freaking shirt" _he thought as he continued his way down the stairs, testing each step with Sammy following closely behind.

As they neared the bottom, he could hear a slight scratching sound coming from the walls. He wondered if it was rats or a possible spirit. He pulled out his EMF meter once again hoping for the latter since he absolutely hated rats. As he waved the meter around, it barely beeped signifying that the scratching sound was most likely made by rats. Reaching the bottom of the steps, he started across the floor and then felt something scurry over his foot and brush his pant leg. "Holy shit" he gasped as he jumped a little and shuddered.

"What, did you see something Dean?" Sam inquired with concern as he shone his flashlight about the room.

"Nothing, it was just a damn rat, felt like a freaking huge one too" Dean said as he visibly shook once again.

"Dude, you nearly scarred the crap out of me over a rat" Sam informed Dean as he rolled his eyes.

"Well quit being so jumpy. You know how I feel about those damned things" Dean said as he elbowed his baby brother slightly in the ribs.

"Yeah, I know" Sam retorted remembering a house that they had stayed in when he was seven and Dean was eleven. Their dad had left on a hunt leaving Dean to watch him without knowing that the place they were staying in was rat infested. He remembered going to bed that first night and feeling something crawling on top of him. He screamed out in panic and Dean jumped out of his bed quickly and ran over to him. Upon flicking on the light beside his bed, Dean had saw five large rats walking on the bed. He had quickly reached over to pick him up, but not before one of the rats had bit him. Unable to reach their dad by phone, Dean had called Jim who was only two hours away. Jim came and got them and took him to the hospital to be taken care of before driving them back to his place. Sam could still vividly remember the way that Dean sat with a loaded shot gun while they were on the couch watching for Jim to get there.

"Sammy, you with me?" Dean questioned for a third time as he reached out to clasp his brother's shoulder.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking about that time the rat bit me" Sam explained.

"Yeah well, try to keep your focus dude, we don't want anything surprising us" Dean said as they started looking around the room. Walking over towards the nearest wall, he scanned the rusty instruments hanging there on spikes. The wall was literally covered with different types of axes, shovels, and picks. He wondered how many of them had been used to torture innocent school girls during the satanic ritual that the headmistress had performed. He looked over to see Sam fiddling with some iron shackles he found lying on a shelf. "Be careful you don't cut yourself with one of those kiddo" he whispered knowing that the rust on them could lead to a tetanus infection if not treated properly.

Knowing that they needed to find the passageway and soon so they could destroy the altar, Dean began knocking on the walls listening for a hollow sound figuring that the entrance had been boarded up long ago. He was just about to raise his hand and start knocking on the second wall when they felt the temperature in the room drop drastically. He looked over to check on Sam just as he felt a cool breeze behind his back. He heard Sam scream out his name just as something grabbed him from behind and pulled him back forcefully. He saw Sammy raise his gun just before he was telekinetically thrown against the far wall. He screamed out Sam's name as he watched his baby brother drop and the passageway door between them slam firmly shut. He didn't have time to worry however as he felt the spirit lift him by his neck and bash his head into the concrete wall behind him causing him to slip into the black void of unconsciousness.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Lessons in Pain Ch. 6**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

**Author's Note: **The story has not been beta'ed so please forgive all erros.

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**Previously: **_Dean saw Sammy raise his gun just before he was telekinetically thrown against the far wall. He screamed out Sam's name as he watched his baby brother drop and the passageway door between them slam firmly shut. He didn't have time to worry however as he felt the spirit lift him by his neck and bash his head into the concrete wall behind him causing him to slip into the black void of unconsciousness._

Dean awoke later to find himself alone and shackled securely to the wall in what looked to be the headmistresses' torture chamber from years past. He surveyed the room to see different instruments used for torture as well as a metal slab that was bolted down in the middle of the room. _'Well at least I'm not tied down on that thing." _he thought as he remembered the details of Sammy's vision. He damn sure wasn't in a freaking mood to lose his arm today and would fight to the death to keep it from happening. He gave the shackles an experimental tug and winced as the rusted iron metal bit into his wrists. "Damn it, looks like I'll be the one going for a tetanus shot later" he grumbled as droplets of blood collected around the area where his skin was broken from the jagged iron edges. He thought about Sammy being alone and unprotected now and wondered if he was imprisoned somewhere else. Glancing at his wrist to see how long he had been unconscious, he growled to find out that his watch had been taken. Bending himself into an uncomfortable position, he was able to ascertain that his knife had been taken from the sheath at his ankle also.

"Well Dean, looks like you've gotten yourself into a fine mess" he mumbled to himself as his thoughts turned to Sammy once again, wondering how badly he was hurt after bring thrown into the wall. Sammy still wasn't at one hundred percent and who knew what the impact could have done to him. It pissed him off to no ends that he had let the spirit get the drop on him after warning Sammy to be careful. And now here he was imprisoned and unable to do the thing he did best which was watch out for Sammy. What he wouldn't give for a lock pick set right now. He started looking around once again trying to find something he could use to get himself free. He had only been looking for a few minutes when he heard an eerie laugh and felt the temperature of the room plummet dramatically.

"Look all you want boy, but there is nothing that can help you now" the spirit announced as she coalesced into corporeal form. Dean glanced up to see a spirit of approximately forty five years of age with long matted hair and wearing a red silk robe. He inwardly shivered as he remembered Sammy's description of the bitch that had tortured him.

"As soon as I'm free, I'm gonna salt and burn your ass bitch" Dean informed the sprit with a glare as he yanked on the chains imprisoning him once again.

"You will never be free" cackled the headmistress as she walked over to the shelving unit and lovingly caressed her instruments of torture. Picking up an ice pick, she floated over towards Dean as she ran her cold hand up and down the metal. In a cruel and taunting voice, she looked at Dean and asked "Did you know that and ice pick has many uses other that what it is intended for. Do you know that some famous hitmen such as Henry Strauss-aka Pittsburgh Phil favored this wonderful little device as his weapon of choice for inflicting the most painful death?" Upon finishing her questioning, she leered sadistically at Dean as she drove the pointed blade deep into his right shoulder.

Dean screamed out in agony as he felt the sharp instrument tear through his skin and sink deep into his shoulder muscle. He gritted his teeth to control the pain as he saw spots of blackness dancing in his vision. He panted heavily as he felt the spirit twist the ice pick harshly before yanking it out.

"That is just a taste of things to come my dear boy. We will have lots of play time together until I tire of you and finally take your life" Ms. Warwick stated as she began to flicker and then faded from view.

"Shit that hurt" gasped Dean as he pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and used it to apply pressure to the wounded shoulder to stop the flow of blood. He was becoming light headed and couldn't afford to pass out or he could easily bleed to death. "Mom, please don't let her hurt Sammy" he prayed as a lone tear trailed down his face. He couldn't stand the thought of Sammy being locked up somewhere else and suffering through the same torture as him.

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Sam gasped aloud as he landed painfully on his wounded leg, tears immediately rushing to his eyes. He didn't have time to worry about the pain however as he saw the door between him and Dean slammed shut with his brother trapped on the other side. "Nooooooo, Dean!" he screamed as he pushed himself up and limped over to the area where the door had just been but was now concealed.

"Where the hell is it?" he yelled in frustration as he tried to locate the hidden opening. He used his hands to traverse every little nook and cranny trying to find the key to opening the door in his need to get to his brother before his vision came true. How could he have been so stupid to let himself get separated from Dean after the warning they had been giving. Totally crestfallen, he began to beat on the door with his fists. "I swear if you don't open the frigging door, I'll salt and burn your ass, raise you from hell and do it again." he threatened to no avail.

Sam slumped to the floor as his feelings began to overwhelm him. "I can't lose you Dean, not like that." he said as he pulled his knees to his chest and began to rock back and forth, a motion that he had always done whenever he was scared as a young child. He allowed the tears to fall as he raised both hands to his head and grasped his hair tightly into his fits. He allowed himself only a few minutes to fall apart before finally pulling himself together for Dean's sake. There was no way he was going to allow that bitch to take away the only thing that meant anything to him in his life now.

"Just hang in there Dean, I'll get you out of there." Sam said as he lay his hand upon the door knowing damn well that Dean couldn't hear him. He wouldn't leave this place until he had found Dean and the two of them were together one way or the other. Focusing his attention on the door, Sam thought about the gruesome scenes he had seen in his vision and his love for the big brother that had always been his first line of protection in a fight. He felt an intense pain run through his head and screamed as he remembered Dean dying before his very eyes. He soon felt a surge of power telekinetically burst forth and watched in amazement as the hidden door opened slightly to reveal the passageway.

Sam once again pushed himself to his feet and winced as a lightning bolt of pain shot through his leg. Gritting his teeth, he began to push forward in his need to get to Dean before his big brother was slowly tortured to death. Pulling his gun out of the back of his button fly jean's, he raised it to his chest as he peeked around the door to glance down the passageway. He cursed at the darkness knowing that anything could be hiding along the way and he would be unable to see it. He knew how dangerous it could be entering the unknown, but he refused to use his flashlight fearing that it would give his presence away if the spirit was anywhere near the opening. Steeling his resolve, he walked into the extremely narrow passage leaving him with a slight feeling of the walls closing in on him. He pulled out his lighter and thumbed it on hoping that the small amount of light would be enough to guide his way.

As he began to walk, he thought about the battle ahead. Would he arrive in time to stop his vision from becoming a reality? Would he be up to facing the spirit alone if Dean were incapacitated? Would he even want to fight if he got there and Dean had already been killed? He shuddered as he tried to wipe that morbid last thought from his mind. Dean was NOT dead and he was going to save his brother if it was the last thing he ever did.

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As Dean lay against the wall trying to relieve the burning pain in his shoulder, he allowed his mind to wonder back to a time when he and Sam had actually been allowed to attend summer camp once. He had been sure that his dad would say no, but Pastor Jim had convinced him that Dean and Sammy would be safer with him on the annual church summer camp than out in the field with him hunting or stuck in some godforsaken motel room by themselves. He remembered Jim telling John how it wasn't fair that he always placed such a heavy burden on Dean to watch over Sammy in a lonely motel room for days on end. Their dad had finally relented to allow them to go as long as they shared a tent with Jim and that Jim wouldn't let them out of his sight.

Dean smiled as he remembered swinging out into the middle of a lake on a Tarzan type vine while Jim played with Sammy near the lake shore since he was only eight years old. It was the first real time that he could actually enjoy himself and not have to worry about whether or not Sammy was being taken care of. Afterwards, they had built a fire and sat around roasting marshmallows while Jim told them stories of when he had first met the family.

But the part he remembered most of all was Jim taking him and Sam horseback riding. Sammy had been scared at first, but Jim promised him that the horses were very gentle and that Sammy would be able to ride with him. Dean loved the thrill of mounting the horse and guiding it along the trail beside Jim as they made their way up to a small cabin where Jim went every year to do a little fishing. By the time they had made it to the small cabin, Sammy was talking animatedly about how big of a fish he was going to catch and that it would be the bestest and the biggest in the whole world. He remembered feeling so serene and relaxed as he lay on the riverbank with the sun beating down on him as he waited for a fish to nibble at his hook.

He was soon drawn out of his memories though as he felt the temperature of the room dip once more. He glanced around the room hoping for something to protect himself but was unable to find anything. His only hope would be of possibly hitting the spirit with his iron shackles if it got close enough to him to strike out at her. He watched as the sprit glimmered a few times before coalescing once again before his very eyes. "What do you want this time bitch?" he seethed determined not to show any weakness.

"It's playtime once again my dear boy" the spirit cooed as she glided over to her toys. She sifted through the items laying on the table before her eyes settled on one of her favorites. "Ah, this should do the trick." she said as she lifted an elongated cylindrical object with a wooden handle and two metal electrodes on the end.

"Keep that thing away from me bitch" Dean seethed recognizing the cattle prod instantly. He tensed as the headmistress moved closer knowing damn well that she was going to stick that thing into his wounded shoulder. He screamed in unabashed agony as the electrical current ran through his shoulder causing unimaginable pain. He saw black spots encroaching on his vision and allowed the darkness to consume him.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Lessons in Pain Ch. 7**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

**Author's Note: **The story has not been beta'ed so please forgive all errors.

In celebration of a **SUPER BOWL WIN**, here is the next chapter. Vonnie, your team played hard and the deserve a pat on the back my friend.

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**Previously: **_"Keep that thing away from me bitch" Dean seethed recognizing the cattle prod instantly. He tensed as the headmistress moved closer knowing damn well that she was going to stick that thing into his wounded shoulder. He screamed in unabashed agony as the electrical current ran through his shoulder causing unimaginable pain. He saw black spots encroaching on his vision and allowed the darkness to consume him._

As Sam made his was down the darkened secret passageway, he suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of his brother screaming out in agony. The sound cut through him to his very soul as he wondered what kind of pain was being inflicted onto his brother. He started making his way more quickly towards the area where the screams were coming from until they were suddenly silenced. _"Oh God, please don't let him be dead"_ Sam prayed as tears moistened his eyes. He could never live with himself if he weren't able to keep his vision from coming true.

As he continued making his way towards where he thought the torture chamber might be, scenes from the vision played in his head only this time, the headmistress taunted him with his failures_. "Look at the pain your precious brother suffers because of you, look how he arches in pain and screams until his throat bleeds with the electrical current running through his body. __**You**__ did this to him Sam. __**You**__ weren't good enough and now Dean cries in agony. You're doomed to be a failure all of your life Sam_."

"No, I'm not a failure and I'll prove it" Sam said aloud to nobody but himself determined to prove the evil entity wrong. "I'll save you Dean if it's the last thing I do." Striding down the hallway with a renewed determination, Sam prepared himself for the battle ahead. He fingered the gun loaded with salt rounds in the back hem of his jeans and he patted the flask of holy water that was readily available in his jacket pocket. As his eyes searched up ahead, he could see the faint gleam of light coming from around what must have been a corner. "Just hold on Dean, I'm coming" Sam whispered as his steps became stealthier. He needed the advantage of surprise on his side if things were going to go in their favor.

As he neared what he hoped would be the room Dean was in, Sam could hear the sound of evil laughing and the voice of whom he assumed to be the headmistress gloating about the torment she was going to inflict on his brother. He could hear the sound of metal scraping on something and knew the time to make his move was now or chance losing his brother.

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Dean awoke to find himself shirtless and securely tied down to a metal slab with shackles chaffing his ankles and wrists. "Oh hell, this can't be good" he mumbled as he jerked his arms and then his legs trying to find some slack in the metal binding him to the table. All he felt however was the immediate pain in his shoulder and the stabbing pains shooting through his chest from the agony caused by the shoulder wound. "Son of a bitch" he gritted through clenched teeth as he tried to control his breathing to minimize the pain.

His heart seized in fear as he suddenly felt a chill in the air. The spirit was about to make it's appearance once again. If everything went according to Sammy's vision, then the headmistress was going to take his life in one of the most painful ways possible. He tried to take deep calming breaths as he saw the spirit beginning to coalesce in front of him. He had to keep his wits if he had any hopes of getting out of this one alive.

"Ah my sacrificial offering awakens" Trinity Jane touted as she walked up to Dean and ran her ice cold fingers down his chest causing him to shiver uncontrollably. "Such a shame to have to destroy such a nice body, especially when we could have had so much fun" she cooed as her fingers trailed down to the hem of Dean's jeans.

"Go to hell bitch" Dean snarled as he tried to arch his body away from her exploring hands.

"Been there, done that" Trinity smirked as she cupped Dean's groin with her hand before turning her head over towards her instruments of torture. "Alas, I don't have the time to play with you as I would like my pet. The time has come to appease my master. Once he has your soul, I will be set free to roam the Earth again as I please."

The evil headmistress walked over to her beloved torture table and picked up a handsaw caressing the blade with the tenderness that one would use to caress a baby. "This should do very nicely" she said as she walked over towards the metal slab imprisoning Dean. "I'm sorry my dear, but this could hurt a bit" she replied as she placed the blade down on Dean's skin and pulled.

Dean screamed out in agony as he felt the teeth of the saw blade beginning to bite into his skin. He felt the warm blood begin to seep from the shallow wound as the headmistress sighed in ecstasy. _"Please don't let Sammy be the one to find me" _he prayed wanting to spare his baby brother the horror of what would be his gruesome death. He tried to close off his mind to the pain and await for death to take him but was suddenly brought back to awareness by the sound of a loud bang followed closely by an ear piercing wail.

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Sam had rounded the corner and was standing just outside the door when he heard a female voice say "I'm sorry my dear, but this could hurt a bit" followed closely by the unmistakable sound of his brother's voice screaming out in pain. Raising his foot, he kicked out with all his might while raising the shotgun at the same time.

"Stay the hell away from my brother." he shouted as his finger instantly pulled back the trigger sending salt rounds into the corporeal body before him. He heard the spirit howl out in agony as it dissipated before his eyes. Scanning the room, he looked over to see the black altar in right hand corner. He could see that it had already been set up with the sacrificial candles and spell book needed to make the offering, the last things needed being his brother's blood and heart.

He started making his way towards the altar only to feel a strong wind whipping through the room. He suddenly felt himself go airborne as he was lifted from his feet and thrown into a wall before crashing harshly to the ground leaving him in a dazed state. He groaned in agony as pain once again shot through his wounded leg and he could feel the stitches tearing as warm liquid began to flow down his leg.

"Sammy look out" he heard his brother's voice call as he shook his head to clear his mind of the cobwebs that seemed to invade it suddenly. He glanced up to see the spirit approaching him and discretely moved his hand to his jacket pocket. He looked the headmistress in the eye as he loosened the cap and took it off the flask of holy water. He gripped his hand around the flask and pulled it just as the spirit hovered in front of him.

"You shall pay with your life for your interference of the ritual" Trinity stated with sadistic glee as she began to recite a demonic curse.

""Not in this lifetime bitch" Sammy snarled as he flung the holy water into the face of the wicked abomination. He watched as the skin on it's ghostly face blistered under the attack of the holy water and the spirit screeched out of existence once again. Knowing that he had only a few precious seconds, he ran to the corner of the room and flipped the altar over before grabbing a hatchet off of the table of instruments and chopping it to pieces. He then quickly doused the contents in rock salt and lighter fluid and dropped a flaming match into the pile and stared at the instant conflagration that rose into the air.

As the fire burned brightly, he turned his attention to his severely injured brother who lay panting on the table. He quickly walked over to his side and surveyed his brothers form. He grimaced in sympathy at the deep wound in his brother's shoulder and the long jagged wound on his arm. "Oh God Dean, I'm sorry I didn't get her fast enough" he apologized as he felt guilt starting to consume him.

"S'not your fault Sammy, so don't you dare blame yourself for what happened" Dean whispered through the pain as he watched the heavy burden settle onto his brother's shoulder. "You got here in time to stop her and that's all that matters."

"I've got to get you out of here and back to the motel" Sam stated ignoring his brothers words as he noticed the sheen of perspiration on Dean's face and chest. The wound in his shoulder was beginning to look angry and unless he was mistaken, it was starting to become infected.

"Sammy, did you hear what I said?" Dean questioned knowing that Sam was trying to steer the conversation in another direction. There was no way he was going to allow his baby brother to take the blame for what happened to him.

"You're wrong Dean, it is my fault. I should have…"

"Have what Sammy? There's nothing you could have done. Shit happens. We deal with it and move on."

"It shouldn't have happened this time. My vision gave us a warning. If only I had…"

"If only's don't count. If anyone should take the blame it'x me. I should have called Bobby for some help on this one. It's not your burden to carry dude so leave it alone." Dean said wishing he could place a comforting hand on Sammy's shoulder.

Sam smiled wistfully and shook his head in acceptance. The least he could do is let Dean think that he was fine and not blaming himself for what happened. Pulling out his lock pick set, he deftly released the locks on the shackles and helped his brother to sit up. He supported Dean by the shoulders as his brother began to sway and groan. "Easy bro, take it slow."

Dean felt immediate vertigo as his brother helped him to a sitting position. He groaned as he fought back the feeling of nausea that overtook him. He felt Sam's hand steady him and he drew in a few deep breaths to prepare himself to stand. Nodding his head that he was ready, Dean felt Sam pull him to his feet while wrapping an arm around his waist in support. He felt Sammy lift his uninjured arm and sling it around his neck before taking a few steps forward.

Sam felt the tremors course through Dean's body as they made their way through the school. He had to get Dean back to the motel room and take care of his injuries ASAP not to mention his own since he could still feel the blood running down his leg from his own injury.

As they exited the building and started towards the car, Dean forced them to come to a stop by planting his feet. "Dean, is something wrong? Do you need a few minutes to rest?" Sammy questioned wondering if he had pushed Dean too far.

"M'fine" Dean gasped in between breaths as he fought to stay awake. "We need to…to salt and bu-burn the bitch"

"We'll have to come back and do that later Dean" Sam stated succinctly knowing that Dean was in no shape to dig a grave and that he wouldn't be able to complete the task on his own. "We've got to get your injuries taken care of first. I'll call Bobby later for some help."

Sam had no sooner gotten Dean to the car when his brother's knees buckled and he passed out. "Damn it" Sam grunted as he took on Dean's full weight and held him up as he opened the door and carefully placed his unconscious big brother into the back seat. Wiping the sweat off of his own brow, he grabbed a blanket from the trunk and placed it over Dean before climbing into the driver's seat and speeding off towards their motel.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Lessons in Pain Ch. 8**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

**Author's Note: **The story has not been beta'ed so please forgive all errors.

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**Previously: **_Sam had no sooner gotten Dean to the car when his brother's knees buckled and he passed out. "Damn it" Sam grunted as he took on Dean's full weight and held him up as he opened the door and carefully placed his unconscious big brother into the back seat. Wiping the sweat off of his own brow, he grabbed a blanket from the trunk and placed it over Dean before climbing into the driver's seat and speeding off towards their motel._

After arriving at the motel, Sam struggled to get Dean into the room as he himself was becoming weaker due to blood loss. He knew he needed to check on his own wound, but he just didn't have the time since Dean was the one who was more severely hurt. He aroused Dean from unconsciousness just long enough to get him out of the car and inside the motel room. He gently helped a groggy Dean lay down on the bed and then stripped his shirt off of him.

"Damn this looks bad" Sammy stated to himself as he observed the wounded shoulder and arm. The arm was becoming infected and he would have to clean it out good to keep it from getting worse. He stumbled back outside and grabbed their duffle bags and the first aid kit from the trunk and lugged them back into the motel room. Stumbling to the bathroom in exhaustion, he grabbed a towel and washcloth and carried them back into the room. He quickly placed the towel under Dean's shoulder and arm in a way that it would sop up the excess alcohol that he would soon be pouring over Dean's wounds so that his bed wouldn't get wet.

He rummaged through their well stocked medical kit and pulled out the green bottle of isopropyl rubbing alcohol. He twisted off the cap and took a deep breath to steady himself. "Dean, I'm gonna have to clean out the wound in your shoulder dude. It's become infected." Sam informed his brother as he steeled himself and poured the alcohol into the stab wound. Tears collected in his eyes as his brother instantly screamed out in pain and arched up off the bed with his muscles extremely taut.

"I'm sorry, so sorry" Sammy mumbled as he pushed Dean back down to do the process once again. It tore at him to know that he was the reason his brother was in so much pain now. He was thankful when Dean finally passed out once again and he could finish administering the first aid without hurting his brother.

Using his sleeve to wipe the sweat out of his eyes, Sammy doused the wounds once more and then set to work on stitching up the bicep on Dean's arm where the saw blade had dug into the skin a little too deeply. After finishing up with his brothers wounds, he pulled the comforter off of his own bed and tossed it over his brother to keep him from slipping any further into shock.

He ignored his ringing cell phone as he started towards the bathroom to take care of his leg. He soon began to sway as he became extremely light headed and the room began to spin. "Damn it, not now" he hissed just before his knees buckled and he fell to the floor unconscious.

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Bobby was beyond worried. He had been trying to call the Winchester brothers for over three hours now and could not reach them. He had decided to fly out and help with the hunt even though Dean had told him not too. With Sammy injured, they were bound to need some help and he was just the man to provide it. His plane had landed at the West Moreland airport almost four hours ago and he was hoping that the boys would come and pick him up. He knew something had to be wrong since the messages he had left for both Dean and Sammy had went unanswered, even the ones where he threatened untold bodily harm if they didn't get back to him.

His closed his eyes and struggled to remember the last conversation he had had with Dean. He remembered Dean telling him that Sammy had been hurt when his leg went through the floorboards and the hurt had been compounded by a vision that had scared the kid near to death. He remembered Dean telling him that they were staying at a motel, but what the heck was it called? It was something that began with Star--Starlight? Starblink? Starbrite? no wait---Stardust, the Stardust Motel.

He quickly walked outside the airport and hailed a cab. He told the driver he was supposed to be meeting up with his nephews at the Stardust Motel but he hadn't gotten the directions. Once the cab driver informed him that there was only one located in the small town, he placed his bags into the cab and promised the driver a fifty dollar tip if he could get him there as soon as possible. Bobby held his breath as the driver pushed speeds near seventy five miles per hour and breathed a sigh of relief when the cab slowed down to pull into the motel parking lot.

Feeling a weight lift of his chest at the sight of the sleek black Impala, Bobby paid the driver with a one hundred dollar bill and told the man to keep the change. He climbed out of the cab and watched it drive away before striding over to the motel. He knocked on the door vigorously and waited for the door to open.

Upon hearing no sounds from inside, he beat on the door once more. "Dean, Sammy, are you boys in there? Open up, it's me--Bobby!"

Bobby's concern grew exponentially upon the absence of any sounds inside. "Damn it" he hissed as he pulled out his lock picking set and got to work on opening the door. He felt like kicking the door in to get in the room quicker, but knew it would arouse too many suspicions of people passing by. It took him three minutes but he was finally able to get the door open. He silently pushed open the door and gasped at the sight that met his eyes. Dean was lying on the bed seemingly unconscious and Sammy was nowhere to be seen.

Bobby swiftly entered the room and walked over to Dean's bed. He could see the sheen of sweat that graced Dean's face and placed a calloused palm on Dean's forehead. "You definitely have a fever kid" he whispered as he peeled back the blanket to search for injuries. The first thing he noticed was the white bandage taped over Dean's shoulder and the way that his bicep was wrapped.

Bobby gingerly pulled back the edge of the bandage and winced at the look of the slightly infected wound. "Damn boy, somebody got you good." he stated upon seeing the hole in Dean's shoulder._ "Just where is that brother of your's?" _he wondered knowing that Sammy had to be around somewhere since he had taken care of Dean's wound. Figuring that Sammy was off getting some ice to bring down Dean's fever, he decided to help him out by getting a wet washcloth to wipe Dean's face with. He had no sooner rounded the bottom of the bed when he immediately stopped in his tracks. "SAMMY" he called out in worry upon seeing the youngest Winchester lying unconscious on the floor. He didn't have to wonder what happened as he saw the right pantleg on Sammy's jeans drenched in blood.

"You stupid idjit, you ignored your own wounds to take care of your brother's and now look at ya. I ought to knock your damned heads together, maybe it would knock some sense into ya." Bobby said as he bent down to take care of Sammy. He immediately unsnapped his jeans and pulled down the zipper. He then pulled and tugged at Sammy's jeans until he pulled them off. "Sorry kiddo, but the jeans had to go so I can take care of this leg" he stated as he peeled off the bloody bandage to find that Sam had ripped open his stitches.

"Well, at least the bleeding has slowed down to a trickle" he said to himself as he struggled to lift Sammy up onto his bed before walking into the bathroom to get the washcloth he had been planning to use on Dean. Instead, he used it to wash away the blood on Sammy's leg and then grabbed the first aid kit sitting on the end table. "I sure am glad you're unconscious for this kiddo." Bobby whispered as he threaded a sterilized needle to re-suture Sammy's leg. After completing the task, he grabbed the pillows at the head of Sammy's bed and used them to elevate his legs. Knowing that he had to get some liquids into the kid to help with the blood loss, Bobby pulled a saline IV out of the first aid kit, luckily the boys kept it as well stocked as their daddy did. He quickly set up the IV in Sammy's hand and then sat back to keep watch over his boys until they woke up.

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Bobby was deeply ensconced in going through Sam and Dean's research material on the hunt when he head the sound of moaning coming from his right. He looked over to see Dean tossing his head about as though in pain. He reached into the first aid kit and pulled out some pain meds and then walked over to the small sink to get a glass of water. By the time he made it back to Dean's bed, he saw the kid looking up at him through glazed eyes. "Hey Ace, how ya feeling?" Bobby asked as he helped Dean to sit up and then propped a pillow behind his back in support.

"M'fine" Dean mumbled his usual answer as Bobby handed him over two small white pills. Dean popped the pills into his mouth and then took the glass of water to wash them down with. "Sammy?" he questioned weakly wondering what Bobby was doing there and where his brother was.

"He's in the next bed." Bobby answered with a nod of his head.

Dean glanced over to his left to see Sammy sleeping, or was he unconscious, with an IV hooked up to his hand. He had an extremely pale pallor to his skin causing Dean's protective factor to skyrocket. "What the hell?" Dean said as he struggled to push himself up to get out of the bed.

"Don't even think about it boy" Bobby warned with a reproachful look. "You ain't doing too good yourself. Sammy will be fine once he's had enough rest and builds his fluids back up. The idjit ignored his own injuries and ended up passing out from losing too much blood."

"But Bobby, Sammy needs…."

"Don't but Bobby me. You ain't too old to take over my knee Dean Winchester. You just keep your behind in that bed and let me take care of yer baby brother. This ain't the first time I've taken care of you boys wounds and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"Okay old man" Dean mumbled with a smirk as he slid back down into the bed too weary to stay awake much longer. He could trust Bobby to take care of Sammy allowing him to get the rest he needed to heal himself.

"Old man my ass" Bobby grumbled as he relaxed back into his chair once again. As he watched the boys sleeping, he couldn't help but think how they had become like sons to him over the past few years. Hell, he couldn't have loved them anymore than he already did if they had his blood running through their veins. "I swear to you Johnny, I won't let anything happen to them." he stated as he looked upwards. "I'll make that demonic spirit pays for what she's done to our boys."

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

**Lessons in Pain Ch. 9**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

**Author's Note: **The story has not been beta'ed so please forgive all errors.

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**Previously: **_As Bobby watched the boys sleeping, he couldn't help but think how they had become like sons to him over the past few years. Hell, he couldn't have loved them anymore than he already did if they had his blood running through their veins. "I swear to you Johnny, I won't let anything happen to them." he stated as he looked upwards. "I'll make that demonic spirit pays for what she's done to our boys."_

Bobby soon heard the sound of moaning coming from the bed beside him and glanced over to see Sammy moving restlessly about on the bed. He knew without a doubt that Sam was most likely having a nightmare about what happened back at the school. He heard the youngest Winchester whimper as something bothered his dreams and reached out to place a soothing hand on his shoulder. "Shh, everything's alright kiddo. You can rest easy now." he stated rubbing his thumb in a circular motion and watched as Sammy calmed down once again into a more restful sleep.

After making sure that Sammy was fine once again, he walked over to check on Dean. He was happy to note that Dean's coloring was better and that he no longer had a sheen of perspiration on his face. He reached out and placed his palm on Dean's forehead to find it cool to the touch. "S'good, the fever's gone." he mumbled to himself. He then reached down towards Dean's shoulder and gently pried the bandage lose to check on the shoulder wound.

"Everything okay Bobby?" Dean questioned as he opened his eyes to find Bobby hovering over him while checking on his shoulder.

"Yeah Ace, I was just checking the wound in your shoulder. Looks like it's doing much better. I can barely tell it was infected now." Bobby replied in answer to Dean's question.

"What about Sammy?" Dean questioned as he glanced over at his baby brother who was still too pale for his liking.

"Don't worry Dean, the kid's doing fine. it's going to take him a little while to recover from the blood loss. Once he get's enough fluids in him, he get stronger. It's just gonna take some time. Now go back to sleep, the night is only half way gone." Bobby watched as Dean took his advice and closed hie eyes to go back to sleep.

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Early the next morning, Sam finally opened his eyes to see Dean and Bobby sitting at the table eating breakfast. "Hope you saved some for me." he stated as he started to push himself up from the bed which he quickly discovered was a bad idea as a sudden wave of vertigo assaulted him and he began to waver. He reached out a hand to steady himself on the nightstand beside him and suddenly noticed the IV that was in the back of his hand. "What the...?"

"Whoa tiger, take it slow." Bobby stated as he quickly walked to steady Sam and then sit on the edge of his bed. "You lost a lot of blood last night so you need to take it easy. I had to start the IV to help replace some of the fluids you lost."

"Oh…" Sam replied as he suddenly remembered the events of the previous night. He knew he had been bleeding but ignored it as he tried to take care of Dean. Dean was more important at the time and his needs had to come first.

"That's all you've got to say is Oh! Let me tell you one thing Samuel Winchester. If you ever do such a stupid thing again, I will give you a spanking the likes of which will make the one's your daddy gave you fill like love pats. It was too damned dangerous doing something so foolish as ignoring your own wounds." Bobby knew he was being rough on the kid, but he loved him like his own so he would treat him the same way too.

"Bobby, I didn't ..."

"Can it boy! I don't want to hear no damned excuses. If ya know what's good for ya, you'll do what's right the next time and take care of yourself too. Do I make myself clear?" Bobby asked while pointedly looking at Sam.

'Yes Sir" Sam replied automatically to the authoritative tone, even though he knew he wouldn't have changed one single thing he had done with taking care of Dean. What Bobby didn't know couldn't hurt him.

"Okay then, well let's get you settled back against the headboard of this bed and I'll bring your breakfast over here to you sport." Bobby informed Sam as he guided Sam's legs back up onto the bed and helped him scoot back. He walked over to get Sam a breakfast burrito loaded with sausage and egg and then checked on his leg while Sam ate.

"Looks like the stitches are holding nicely" he said as he removed the bandage from Sam's thigh and checked for any signs of infection. Give it a couple more days and we'll be able to finish up the hunt with the salt and burn."

"What do you mean a few days?" Dean questioned through a mouthful of food ready to get the damn thing over and done with.

"Just what I said, you boys are in no shape to go out there on a hunt. Sammy still needs another IV and you need another day or two to recover yourself Dean." Bobby replied.

"Damn it Bobby, I'm fine." Dean retorted not wanting to show any weakness to the man who had become like a father to him and Sammy.

"Sure you are boy. And of course you wouldn't have any trouble digging with that shoulder of yours huh. We both know that Sammy won't be able to help with that leg of his injured the way it is." Bobby replied as he watched Dean lower his head in resignation.''

"I just want to get this frigging hunt over with Bobby. That bitch hurt Sammy and nobody get's away with doing that." Dean stated quietly.

"And we'll make sure she pays for it Dean, just give yourself a couple of days to heal and then I promise you, I'll be right there beside you to help take the spirit down. So, we got a deal?"

"Yeah, we have a deal" Dean replied as he looked up at Bobby with determined eyes. "Just don't try to finish this one without me."

"You got it kid." Bobby stated as he placed a hand on Dean's shoulder. "I wouldn't even consider leaving you boys behind."

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Approximately sixty hours later found the Winchesters and Bobby searching for the headmistresses grave under the cover of darkness. Bobby had established that the grave was located on school grounds approximately five miles north of where the building was situated. According to his research, the grave was marked only by a small iron plate set in concrete which read: HERE LIES EVIL. The townspeople had refused to give the headmistress a proper marker because of her evil ways.

As they searched the grounds, Bobby and Dean carried shovels while Sam carried the accelerant and matches. Once they found the marker, Bobby and Dean would dig up the body while Sam protected their backs should Trinity Jane make herself known once again. Even though Sam had destroyed her black altar, her spirit could still be bound until her body was salted and burned also.

As Bobby swung his flashlight over the ground, he glanced towards the Winchester brothers to make sure the boys were doing alright. If they began to show signs of fatigue, he was determined to put the hunt off for another day. Glancing at Dean, it was obvious the boy was in his element with the determined look in his eyes as he scanned the ground in a crisscross pattern before him. From the outward appearance, no one would have known that he had been so severely injured only a few short days ago. Shifting his eyes over towards Sam, it was obvious that the walking was taking a toll on him as he was beginning to show a noticeable limp. Bobby made a mental note to keep an eye on the youngest Winchester and if need be, force him to sit this hunt out. Bobby was soon drawn out of his musings by the sound of Dean's voice.

"Yahtzee, found the bitch." Dean called out as he swept some leaves off of the iron marker that he had almost missed since it was covered in dirt and leaves.

Bobby jogged over quickly to the area and he and Dean sunk their shovels in the hard ground and began to dig. It didn't take long for them to work up a sweat as they heaped shovels full of dirt up and out of the grave. As they dug, Dean couldn't help but notice the way that Bobby would glance at his shoulder every so often. "Bobby, would you stop, my shoulders fine. If it starts to bothering me, I'll take a break."

"Make sure you do boy." Bobby replied as he threw a shovel full of dirt up and over his shoulder.

The hunters dug in silence for the next two hours until Bobby heard a thumping sound. He reached down and brushed away the dirt to reveal the top of the wooden coffin. "Get ready boys." he stated as he prepared to bust open the lid of the coffin with his shovel. He waited until Dean had climbed up and out of the grave. Taking a firm hold of the metal handle, he jammed the shovel down hard and heard the wood splinter and disintegrate under the force he had used.

After breaking the wood away with his hands, Bobby felt the wind begin to build and quickly climbed out of the grave just as he heard the boom of a gun going off. He looked up to see Sammy hold the rifle at ready position as he scanned the area around him. He had no sooner gotten out of the grave, when the spirit coalesced once again right behind the kid's back.

"Sammy look out!" he heard Dean shout just a second too late as his brother was lifted off the ground and thrown into a tree. He heard Sammy grunt from the force of the impact before watching him fall to the ground unconscious. Bobby couldn't take the time to worry about the youngest Winchester as he noticed the spirit had once again fixated on Dean. She had ghostly hands wrapped round his throat as Dean struggled to pull them lose. He could hear Dean trying to wheeze in air as a blue tinge began to form around his lips.

"Son of a bitch" he swore loudly as he pulled the trigger on the corporeal form who now had ghostly fingers wrapped around Dean's neck and was squeezing the life out of him.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

**Lessons in Pain Ch. 10**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

**Author's Note: **The story has not been beta'ed so please forgive all errors.

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**Previously**_**: **__"Son of a bitch" Bobby swore loudly as he pulled the trigger on the corporeal form who now had ghostly fingers wrapped around Dean's neck and was squeezing the life out of him._

Bobby's aim was true and he watched as the spirit once again screeched out of existence. He wanted to run towards Dean to make sure he was still breathing, but he knew the bitch could make a return at any second. Pulling some matches out of his own pocket, he quickly lit one and dropped it into the grave not taking the time to watch as the sudden conflagration rose into the air. Instead he raced over to Dean and slid to his knees before placing two fingers on his carotid artery. "Oh thank God" he whispered as he felt the weak but steady thumping under his fingers. He then placed his face down near Dean's to make sure the kid was still breathing. "You're going to be fine Ace." he whispered as he patted Dean on the chest and felt him begin to stir beneath his hand.

"Bobby, Wha' happened?" Dean questioned as he opened his eyes and glanced around dazedly.

"The spirit had you by the throat, but she's gone now." Bobby answered as he glanced over to see a still unconscious Sammy.

Seeing the worry on Bobby's face, Dean glanced over and immediately panicked. "Oh crap. Sammy!" Dean hissed as he pushed himself to his feet. He wobbled for just a minute and felt Bobby grasp him by the shoulder and steady him before leading him over to his baby brother. As he knelt beside his baby brother, Dean took visual stock of his injuries. He could see the thin line of blood running down the side of his face from a cut on the forehead that was situated near his hairline. He also had a bruise already forming around his right eye and some skin had been abraded off of his right cheek where it collided with the tree. "Aw Sammy" he whispered as he palmed Sammy's uninjured cheek and tried to rouse him.

"Sammy? Can you hear me little brother?" he questioned as he patted his cheek lightly while Bobby checked for broken bones. He watched as Sammy's eyelids began to flutter and then slowly opened. "Hey tiger, how ya feeling?"

"De'n?" Sam questioned as his fuzzy vision refused to clear enough for him to see who was kneeling before him.

"Yeah, it's me kiddo. You kind of hit your head pretty hard when that spirit threw you." Dean answered as he pulled a penlight from his pocket and shined it into Sammy's eyes.

"Stop, hu-hurts." Sam seethed as he tried to turn his head away from the bright light that set off a wave of new pain in his head making him feel like it was being squeezed between vice grips.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to check your eyes dude." Dean stated hating the fact that he was causing his baby brother pain.

"Dean?" Sammy questioned again confused as to who was speaking to him.

"Yeah, it's me kiddo. You've got a concussion." Dean answered as he noticed the way that Sammy's pupils were unequal and slow to react to the light. "You're probably going to have some problems with your short term memory."

"Kay" Sammy stated as he closed his eyes to get some rest since he was so damned tired.

"No kiddo, you've got to stay awake." Dean informed his baby brother as he lightly patted his cheek once again.

"Why?" Sammy asked with a whining quality to his voice.

"You hit your head kiddo, I don't want to chance you slipping into a coma." Dean answered knowing that Sammy would suffer from a state of confusion over the next few hours.

"Okay, what happened?" Sam questioned once again as he tried to figure out why he was lying on the ground.

"You hit your head." Dean answered once again as he helped his brother to slowly sit up after Bobby gave him the all clear after not finding any broken bones.

"Oh! Am I concussed?" Sam questioned as his head wobbled on his shoulders and nausea began to assail him.

"Yeah" Dean answered in concern as he noticed a pained look on his baby brother's face just before Sammy leaned over and expelled everything that was in his stomach. He placed a hand on Sammy's back and began to rub it in circles once the vomiting stopped and the dry heaves began. "S'okay kiddo, just relax, it'll pass." Dean soothed as he continued rubbing Sammy's back.

"So-sorry" Sam whispered as he pushed himself away from the pungent pile and leaned back against the tree just as he felt a water bottle thrust into his hands. He took a quick mouthful and then swished it around his mouth before spitting it out. He then tipped the bottle to his mouth again and began to guzzle the cool liquid.

"Whoa, slow down there tiger before you get sick again." Bobby stated as he pulled the bottle away from Sammy's hands.

"Bobby? When did you get here?" Sam questioned, surprised at seeing the older hunter.

"Not too long ago sport." Bobby replied feeling sorry for the kid knowing damned well how it felt to have a concussion. "Dean, stay here with your brother while I go refill the grave. We need to get him out of here and to a hospital as soon as possible."

"No, no hospital." Sammy intoned with a shaky voice as he tried to focus on Bobby. "M'fine."

"Sure you are dude." Bobby replied as he brushed Sammy's hair from his eyes gently making sure not to touch his injured spot. He then strode over towards the grave and filled it in before cleaning up the surrounding area to make it look as if it hadn't been touched. He picked up their gear and carried it the half mile to the care before returning to help Dean with Sammy. The kid was most definitely going to need some help getting out of the woods.

By the time Bobby returned to them, Dean already had his baby brother up on his feet and moving slowly towards the Impala. He had one of Sammy's arms wrapped around his shoulder while one of his own arms was wrapped around Sammy's waist to keep him as steady as possible. Bobby could see the strain in Dean's face as he tried to keep his little brother moving so he quickly jogged over to help. Grasping Sammy's other arm, he pulled it around his own shoulder thereby taking some of the weight off of Dean. "Damn it Dean, you should have waited for me. Ya ain't Superman ya damned idjit."

They had only made it half way to the car when Sam's knees buckled on him. Dean grunted as he felt a pull on his shoulder but stiffened his own legs and grip while Bobby did the same to keep Sammy from hitting the ground. Dean let out a few panting breaths as he tried to control the pain that now flared in his shoulder. "Give me just a minute Bobby" he stated needing to rest for a second or two before trudging on.

Knowing that Dean was now running on reserves, Bobby did the only thing he could think of to help. "He bent forward and hoisted Sam over his shoulders into a fireman's carry. "For once, I've got him. So get your stubborn ass moving and let me take care of your brother." Bobby informed Dean as he started walking forward knowing Dean wouldn't be far behind him.

Once they had made it back to the car and Sammy had been lowered into the back seat, Bobby went to the trunk and grabbed a blanket to lay over him. By the time he returned with it, Dean had climbed into the back seat with Sammy and was now cradling his head in his lap. Bobby tossed the blanket to Dean to lay over his brother as he climbed into the drivers seat of the Impala. "Hospital or motel?" he asked, glancing in the rearview mirror at Dean.

"Hospital, I'm not taking any chances." Dean replied as he carded his fingers through Sammy's hair.

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Sam woke up later to the smell of antiseptic and a bright light shining in his eyes. He groaned in pain as he threw a weary arm up over his eyes to shield them from the harsh light. "I thought I said no hospital." Sam whispered since his head was pounding too much to handle anything louder.

"Yeah well I'm older and that makes me the boss." Dean quietly informed Sammy while Bobby turned off the overhead light. "You can take your arm away now Sammy, the lights have been turned down."

"When can I get out of here?" Sam, inquired as he glanced down to notice an IV in his hand.

"The doc wants you her for at least forty eight hours observation, You've got a grade three concussion kiddo." Dean answered.

"Go get the AMA papers. I'm not staying here for another forty eight hours." Sam grunted as he pushed himself up from the bed only to weave and become nauseated. "Crap."

"You need to lay still kiddo and let the medicine do it's work" Bobby said as he gently helped Sam to lay back down. "You're staying here until the doctor says otherwise whether you like it or not tiger."

"Bobby I don't…"

"I don't care want you don't wanna do Sammy, you're staying and that's final. Once the doctor releases you, you and your hard headed brother are coming to my place for a few weeks to relax."

"Wait a minute Bobby, I didn't agree to that." Dean informed the man who was so much like a father to them now.

"Listen to me Dean, you heard what the doctor said. Sammy could suffer from Post Concussion Syndrome. You two can't be out working a hunt if that happens. Besides, I could use your help restoring a sixty seven convertible Mustang."

"Can I drive it?" Dean asked with a gleam in his eyes.

"Well I reckon somebody will have to test drive it once it's finished." Bobby intoned as he rolled his eyes.

"Then I guess we'll be spending a few weeks with you." Dean answered for Sammy and himself as he patted his baby brother on the leg. "That will give Samantha here the time he needs to heal and I can have some fun."

Bobby sat back in relief knowing he would be able to keep an eye of his and John's boys until they were ready to resume the hunt again.

**THE END **_Thanks for all the support you gave me with this story. It truly feels wonderful to have such wonderful friends as you!!!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Lessons in Pain Ch. 11--the epilogue**

**Disclaimer: **Kripke and the CW own the Winchesters. I am just playing in their sandbox for a little while and will return them. I am not making a profit from this story!

**Author's Note: **I thought I was finished with this story, but a few readers requested an epilogue with a PCS (Post Concussion Syndrome) Sammy and Dean at Bobby's place. Sarah and Vonnie---this one's for you!

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**Previously: **_"Then I guess we'll be spending a few weeks with you." Dean answered for Sammy and himself as he patted his baby brother on the leg. "That will give Samantha here the time he needs to heal and I can have some fun." _

A couple of weeks later found the boys in Sioux City, South Dakota at the home of Bobby Singer. Dean was firmly entrenched in working on that classic '67 Covertible Mustang with Bobby as the two of them surreptitiously kept an eye on Sammy as he sat on the porch. Sam had been extremely irritable over the past week and was constantly snapping at them that he wasn't an invalid and that he was damn well able to take care of his own self and to leave him the hell alone. He and Bobby didn't take any offence with the kid's attitude though knowing that emotional sensitivity and irritability were symptoms of the PCS that the doctor had warned them about.

The first week they had spent with Bobby had been a proverbial week from hell so to say. Sammy was extremely moody and every little thing had set him off. Things such as putting a wet washcloth on the nape of his neck during nausea episodes to helping steady him when he became unbalanced when walking had him pissed off to no ends. He had became so angered at one point over his cereal not tasting right that he threw the bowl across the kitchen and stomped unsteadily out of the house cursing up a storm.

Nights were even worse because of the severe headaches that assaulted him leaving him in tears at times and no matter what Dean did to try to help, he just seemed to make things worse. And that wasn't the only problem, Sammy was also suffering from tinnitus which had left him with an almost constant ringing sound in his ears which was keeping him from getting a decent night's sleep. Dean was drawn out of his musings of the past couple of weeks as he felt a tap on his shoulder. "You need something Bobby?" he inquired with a slight hint of embarrassment that Bobby had caught him daydreaming.

"Not me, but your brother might." Bobby pointed out as he watched Sammy struggling to make his way across the porch on unsteady legs. He was still suffering from dizziness and had trouble concentrating enough to put one foot in front of the other. Dean quickly jogged over to the porch and took Sammy by the arm.

"Where you off to dude?" Dean asked as Sam tried to bat his hand away.

"I'm just going to the bathroom if it's any concern of yours." Sammy informed him as he placed a steadying hand on the wall of the house. He had only taken a couple of steps when he was hit with an wave of nausea and began to gag. Knowing there was no way they could make it to the bathroom in time, Dean quickly led Sammy over to the porch railing where he leaned over and threw up on the ground.

"Guh, I hate this" Sam whispered through bouts of vomiting as tears come to his eyes. "I'm so tired of being sick that I wish somebody would just shoot me and put me out of my misery."

"It'll pass Sammy. You've just got to give it some time." Dean intoned as he rubbed his brother's back to get him through the dry heaving now taking over his body.

"I'm tired of giving it time Dean. It feels like I'm never gonna get better. You don't know what it's like to wake up every morning to open your eyes to the room spinning around you. You don't know what it's like to crave the sound of quiet just so you can get some sleep. How in the hell am I supposed to live with this?" Sam questioned as his legs gave away. He would have fallen to the porch if Dean hadn't caught him and gently lowered him onto Bobby's porch swing.

"I wish I could answer that for you Sammy, but I can tell you this…you don't have to deal with this illness alone. I'm here for ya and so is Bobby. We'll do anything we can to make things easier and better for ya kiddo. All you have to do is ask." Dean replied in concern for his despondent brother. Sammy was upset enough as it was without becoming depressed over the situation too.

"I just want to get some sleep, can you help me do that Dean?" Sam asked with pleading eyes filled with hope.

"Yeah, I can help with that" Dean replied knowing that Bobby had the most well stocked first aid kit of any hunter. And if Bobby didn't have a sedative in his kit, he was sure that Bobby would know where to get one. Dean was hoping that with a little sleep, Sammy wouldn't be so depressed. "Come on tiger, lets get you inside." he stated as hoisted Sammy to his feet and helped him into the house. Once he had him situated upstairs in their room after having made that bathroom stop, he returned to the lower level to find Bobby looking at him in concern.

"Sammy doing okay?' Bobby inquired as he wiped his greasy hands with an oil rag.

No he's not and I'm worried about him. He's depressed Bobby and he just wants to get a decent night of sleep. Have you got any sedatives in your first aid kit that'll help?" Dean answered in reply to Bobby's question.

"Sure do!" Bobby replied as he walked over to the small cabinet where he kept his stronger medicines. He pulled out a small vial of amber colored liquid and a sterile wrapped syringe as well as a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a couple of cotton balls. "This ought to do it." Bobby replied as he and Dean walked up the stairs to the room where Dean and Sammy were staying.

Opening the door, Bobby walked over to the bed and sat down beside Sammy who was now softly crying as he rocked himself in comfort. "You're gonna be fine in just a minute tiger." Bobby intoned as he pushed the sleeve up on Sammy's t-shirt and swabbed an area on his arm. He motioned to Dean to help Sammy lay down and then he quickly jabbed the needle into Sammy's bicep and depressed the plunger delivering the much needed medicine.

Within minutes, the hunters noticed a glassy look encompass Sammy's eyes before his eyelid drifted shut and he faded off to sleep. "Thanks Bobby!" Dean intoned as he sat at the head of Sammy's bed carding his fingers through Sammy's hair."

"Don't mention it kid. You boys are my family now and when one of you is hurting, it hurts me too." Bobby replied as he pulled off his ball cap and ran his fingers through his own hair. Knowing that Dean wouldn't leave Sammy unprotected while in a drug induced sleep, Bobby said "I'll see you boys in the morning."

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Sam woke up the next morning to the sound of light snoring. He rolled over carefully in his bed to stave off the dizziness that usually came with waking and had to smile as he looked over at his sleeping brother. Dean had one leg hanging over the side of the bed from tossing around in his sleep and hair was mussed to the point that he looked like a little boy. Add to that the fact that he had a line of drool sliding down his chin and onto his pillow and it made for a truly comical sight.

As he lay there watching Dean, Sam wondered just how long he had been asleep. He had no doubt that Dean had probably spent most of his night watching over him after that breakdown episode he had had last night. Embarrassment crept up his neck as he remembered the way he had whined about his symptoms and pleaded with Dean to make things better.

"Sammy, you have nothing to be embarrassed about you know." Dean whispered as he saw the pink tinge take over his brother's cheeks. "Everyone needs a little help now and then.

"I, I thought you were asleep." Sam stuttered out surprised that Dean was now awake.

"Yeah, well that's kind of hard to do when you're sitting there watching me so intently." Dean replied as he sat up and stretched. "How you feeling this morning kiddo?"

"Much better after a full night of sleep thanks to you and Bobby. I'm sorry for losing it on you Dean, I know how much you hate those chick flick moments." Sammy said in answer to Dean's question.

"Not when it comes to your health little brother. I'd rather have a dreaded chick flick moment than have you suffering in pain any day of the week."

"Thanks for that Dean." Sam replied with a grin as he pushed himself to his feet. "Smells like Bobby's cooking breakfast, what do ya say we got get some. I think I'm actually hungry for a change."

"Now that's the best news I've heard in a long time" Dean replied as he slung an arm around Sammy to make sure the kid was steady on his feet before guiding them out the bedroom door.

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A couple of weeks later, Sammy was only having the occasional bout of vertigo as his PCS was finally starting to go away. The debilitating headaches were now a thing of the past and he hadn't thrown up in over twenty four hours. He was also beginning to look healthier as he started putting on some of the weight he had lost and his coloring was looking much better. He had taken to sitting on the porch and reading over the past few days as his brother and Bobby worked on the car. He had just finished the book he was reading when he heard his brother call out to him.

"Hey Sammy, wanna go for a ride?" Dean shouted with a large grin on his face as he and Bobby lowered the convertible top of the '67 Mustang. "She's finally finished and ready for a test drive.

"Hell yeah," Sammy replied as he tossed his book on the seat of the swing and walked out to the car. He climbed into the shotgun position as Dean fired up the engine and pulled out of the salvage yard. He totally enjoyed the feeling of the wind blowing through his long hair as he sat back and fully relaxed for the first time in months. He looked over to see Dean sporting what he affectionally called a "shit eating grin" since the smile encompassed almost half of his face. Things were finally looking up for them once again.

_**LOL, now it's finished Hope you enjoyed this little added epilogue!**_


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